The Vermont Chamber played an integral role in writing a congressional earmark application to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy on behalf of the Burlington Technical Center for a new school that will further propel Vermont’s aerospace manufacturing and civil aviation industry. Combined with the Vermont Chamber’s legislative win in making permanent the 6% aviation sales tax exemption, the new school will elevate Vermont’s $2 billion aerospace and aviation industry.

The funding, announced by the current Vermont Congressional Delegation, will be administered by the United States Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and aims to serve up to 150 Vermont high school students and adults each year. Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint stated, “Training young people in new and emerging technologies and reskilling workers in the field are equally essential to fostering a strong workforce in Vermont. The Vermonters trained here will play an important role in securing Vermont’s sustainable future through the growth of electric aviation. This investment is thanks to the dedication of Senator Leahy and his staff, the Burlington School District, and our forward-thinking, community-based aviation and aerospace industries in Vermont.”